Copper mining in Canada East [microform]

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COPPER MINING

IX

CANADA EAST.

BY HERBERT WILLIAMS, M.S.,

MANAGER OP TUB HARVEY HILL COPPER MIKES;

^ei)5 befoi^e il)C jLile^^i-jj ^r)5 ij-lsforicql Sociefij, Qiiebec.

QUEBEC:
PRINTED BY HUNTER, ROSE & CO., ST. UR3ULE STREET.

1865.

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COPrER MINING IN CANADA EAST.

f

Bv HERBERT WILLIAMS, M.E.,

MANAGb;U OF THB HAHVEV Ull-L COPI'KIl MINKS.
{Head hftfon the Socicli/, l^th March, 1865.)

Tlio discovery of copper ores in the EavStcrn Townsliips may
reasonably be within the memory of most persons present, as
dating within the last fifteen or twenty years, whilst actual opera-
tions for their development only commenced within the last seven
years.

The first discovery appears to have been made on lot No. 4, in
the second range of the Township of Inverness ; and although
some very fine samples were exhibited in the City of Quebec, it was
sonic time before any notice was taken of the circumstance. I
believe it was not until some samples were shewn to one of your
most enterprising citizens, Dr. James Douglas, whose characteristic
shrewdness induced him to enquire into the matter, that a move
was made, the result of which was the formation of the Megantic
Mining Company.

The second discovery was that now known as " The Harvey
Hill Mine," situated on lot 17, in the fifteenth range of
the Township of Leeds, which was also secured by the same
gentleman and his associates, who organized a company under
the name of '^ The Quebec and St. Francis Mining Company."

This second discovery seems to have created some excitement at
the time, as several other companies appear to have been organized
for Avorking copper mines in the Eastern Townships about this
period, and beyond the purchasing of large tracts of land and the
procuring of charters of incorporation, little appears to have been
done by any of the (Jompanieg, excepting the Quebec and St.

COl'l'EU MININ<i IN CANADA EAST.

Francis Mining Company, who made such explorations on Harvey
Hill as enabled them, in the spriu<i; of 1858, to bring it under the
notice of some English capitalists, who organized themselves
under the Imperial Statutes, with " limited liability," as <' The
" English and Canadian Mining Company." Under the auspices
of this company, systematic mining operations were commenced,
and have been uninterruptedly continued up to the present time,
with the results to be hereafter detailed.

[n the autumn of the same year (1858), operations were eom-
menrjod by Mr. Sleeper, on that most extraordinary deposit, known
as the Acton Copper Mine. Although tho discovery ot copper
ore of very rich quality had been made some few years previously,
so incredulous appeared the public mind on tho subject, that the
property was purchased by Mr. Davis, of Montreal, for a very
insignificant sum and a royalty; but that gentleman had so little
iaith in his purchase, that he at once lot it to Mr. Sleeper on
" tribute," at two-thirds of all the ore that hu cjuld obtain from
it for a period of three years.

The enormous results obtained by Mr. Sleeper, almost imme-
diately on commencing his operations, induced more extensive
researches, leading to the discovery of copper (as reported in
May, 1859, by our eminent Provincial Geologist) in sixty-seven
different localities in various parts of the Eastern Townships,
since which period I may fearlessly state that copper ores have
been found in thousands of places.

My own occupations in connection with the development of
copper mines in the Eastern Townships commenced in the year
1858. The observations and examinations that I have made since
then extend over a large area of the country, the minute details of
which cannot be comprised within tho limits of a short review on
the copper mines of the Eastern Townships, such as I purpose
submitting to you on the present occasion ; but to those who may
desire to form a better acquaintance with the geology of the
Eastern Townships, for the purpose of rendering its mineral
resources commercially available, I would strongly recommend a

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COl'PElt MININU IN CANADA EAST.

4

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careful study of tlic report of our euiiDcat and deservedly popular
Provincial Geolo«^ist, Sir MV. E. Logau, published iu 18()'J, by
Mijssrs. Dawsou of Montreal.

'J'lie amount of valuable inlbrniutiou to be obtained from a
careful and patieut perusal of that most valuable compendiuui of
the labors of the geoloj^jieal staiF of this J'rovince, cannot, 1 fear,
be fully appreciated in the present stage of mining operations ;
but its importance; will appear iu the i'uture developuicnt of the
immense mineral resources of this country, by enabling the miner
to trace, with some degree of certainty, the limits within whicli
he may reasonably expect to had copper ores in the rocks of the
Quebec group, which is regarded an the equivalent of the upper
cop[)er-bearing strata of Lake Superior.

The structure of this important mineral region, in which
numerous deposits of copper ore occur, is described in that work
as Ibllows :■'' — " The strata of this region, which include both the
" (juebee group and some dark-colored slates supposed to underlie
"• it, are, from the eil'ect of undulation, arranged in long parallel
" synclinal and anticlinal forms, with many overturn dips. The
" latter circumstance renders it difficult to determine which of
" these folds are synclinal and which anticlinal, inasmucli as the
" outcrops, in both cases, present a similar arrangement. The
'' weight of evidence, however, at present goes to show that the
" strata dip towards the centre of the areas about to be described,
'• and they will therefore bo designated as synclinals. These iu
the part of the region which has been most examined (extend-
ing from the boundary line of V^ermont to the Chaudiere lliver),
are three in number," the lirst of which is briefly defined as
" The synclinal oxtjnding from the Township of Farnham,
" near Missisquoi Bay, to the Seigniory of Lauzon, on the St.
" Lawrence. This, where it is traversed by the St. Trancis, is
" nearly or quite separated into two parts by the appearance of
" the underlying slates. The south-western portiun appears to be
*' divided by an undulation into at least two sub'^idinato t^'oughs,

* Page 709.

G

COri'ER MININii IN CANADA EAST.

" thus giving; in Roxton and Ely an iidditional Li'cadtli to the
" cxposuro of these rocks. Tho copper deposits of Upton, Acton,
" Wickham, iloxtou, and Durham, occur in this synclinal, while
" in its north-eastern extension arc those of Wendover, yomcrset,
" Nelson, and St. Mavien."

In tho long extent of this synclinal, although copper ore has
been found in a great number of localities, the Aelou mine ncec.-i-
sarily claims precedence of all others, as having yielded by Car the
greatest quantity of copper. The celebrity which this mine attained
during the first few years of its working, will, I doubt nut, be I'resli
in the recollection of most persons present. Several valuable papers
have been published on the subject, both in tlio records of the
Geological Survey and in the Canadian NaturalUt. One, in parti-
cular, published in the latter, in December, 186:2, by Mr. Thomas
Macfarlane, is well worthy the perusal of every student and miner
in the province, as affording a very large amount of detail with
regard to the actual working of the mine from 1st September,
1861, to oOth September, 18G2. The total amount of ore taken
out during that period appears to have been 2,3o0 tons, averaging
about twelve per cent, of fine copper, or at the rate of about 1 71)
tons per month.

By the Directors' Report to the shareholders, up to the end of
September, 1863, the total amount of ore taken out for the year
appears to be 3,695 tons, nearly 308 tons per month, the same
averaging 12-46th per cent. Although this exhibits a fair increase
in the produce of the mine, the balance-sheet for the same period
does not exhibit an equivalent increase in financial results to the
stockholders ; neither did the mine present, at the end of that year,
the same promising appearance that it did the year previous, as no
sinking appears to have been done with a view to the discovery of
more ore, and the creating of further reserves.

The ores at Acton and other places along the course of t^is
synclinal are composed of the vitreous, variegated and yellow
sulphiirets, with occasional traces of green carbonate of copper,
and arc characterised as occurring associated, in most places, with

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COPrER MININCJ IN CANADA EASX.

to tho

Acton,
, wliilo
aicrsct,

Ol'C \vdH

! nooc.-i-
liir the
ittiiiiicd
jc 1i'(3h1i
i papers

of till)

in p;u'ti-
Thuuiiis
id minci"
tiiil with
[)tcmbcr,
)vc taken
,vcragiQ^^
)Out 179

cud of
ic year
he same
increase
le period
ts to the
that year,
)us, as no
covery of

le of this
id yellow
f copper,
lices, with

bands of greyish-whito and rcddish-grcy compact sul)-crystallinc
yellowisli weathcrinj;; dolomitic limcstoac. Explorations have
been made upon outcrops of copper so associated, at L'pton, Wick-
ham, Durham, Somerset, Nelson, and St. Fiavien, besides a great
number of intermediate loeuUtios between these phices, sonm of
which have resulted ia the production of a few tons of good
(piality ore ; but, being prosecuted by American capitnlists, the
high rate of gold as compared to the value of tlic present American
currency has necessitated the suspension of operations in most
of tiiem fur some months past, and has cvcu curtailed operations
in tho great Acton Mine.

The second synclinal is described as " extending from St.
" Armand to the Seigniory of St. Mary, on the Chaudit^re. In it
'' are tho copper deposits of Sutton, Shefford, Stukely, Melbourne,
" Olevcland, Shipton, Chester, Halifax, Leeds, Inverness, and St.
" IMary. in its southern extremity, this synclinal is divided into
" two by Sutton Mountain, jind while one part occupies Sutton
^' Valley, the other extends southward into Potton."

The Harvey Hill Mines, in tho development of which I have
been chiefly engaged, lie within the limits of this synclinal. Active
operations were commenced here in the spring of 1858, by deve-
loping some quartz courses found cropping out at surface, and
carrying chiefly the vitreous and variegated sulphurets of copper.
These courses were found to be lenticular in form, cutting the
strata of the country in their strike and dip j and although the ores
discovered in them were of the very richest quality, the actual
result, commercially, was by no means as satisfactory as could be
desired, arising mainly frolii their very limited extent, both
longitudinally and vertically, and the great cost necessary for
their extraction and the subsequent preparation of the ores con-
tained in them for transport to market. These courses, though
bearing some resemblance to lodes occurring in dislocations of
stratification, did uot present the usual indications to the eye of
the miner by which similar discoveries are made in Europe, viz.,
by their gossan outcrop ; they nevertheless presented highly favor-

8

OOl'PEU MINTN(i IN CANADA ICAST.

able indications of the existence of copper ore in depth, and such
as imlucod more extensive explorations with a view to ascertain
whc'tlun' tlioy wero not connected with regular lodes beneath the
surface. These explorations, though not meeting with any lodcH
in depth, made other discoveries that may eventually jirove of
much greater importance to the country than old European
theorists on the formation of copper will probably admit for some
time to come, viz., the existence of copper ores imbedded in the
slates of the country, in quantities suftlcieut to render their
extraction highly remunerative, with careful management and eco-
nomy in laying out the works.* These slates present in section
an undulating apperrance, and the copper is disseminated through
them in lenticular masses, varying from one-sixth of an ineli to
two and three inches in thickness, and in length exhibiting lires
varying from three inches to eighteen inches, anc, at times over
two feet.

These masses may, for the most part, be considered as over-
lapping one another, with variable distances between them ; whilst
the ore is disseminated throughout the whole thickness of the bed,
which varies between five and six feet.

The existence of this bed has been proved, at intermediate dis-
tances, for a length of over two hundred fathoms; the breadth has
also been proved for an average of between seventy and eighty
fathoms. Therefore tlie area, as far as it has been proved, may be
assumed to c ?:itain about sixteen thousand .superficial fathoms of
ground.

By careful trials, the average yield of the richest portion of the
bed is computed at a little over twelve and a half tons of thrct^
and a half per cent, ore to the supcrfie'al fathom of ground, or
about 11)0,000 tons in that portion of the. bed which has been
proved, the extraction of which, supposing it to be worked at the
rate of one hundred tons per day, will occupy between six and seven
}oars. It must not, however, be supposed that the foregoing limits

* Throo such deposits have boon itiet with at Ilarvoy Ilill, tbo upper one of
which is now being wrought.

sla

\

rOPPKR MININ(i IN CANADA EAST.

9

ir.d Buoli
isccrtain
cath tlio
,ny lodoH
provo of
ijiiropoan
Cor some
cJ in tho
Icr their
; and cco-
n Hcction
I throuj:;li
1 inch to
ting lircs
inica over

I as ovor-
111 5 v/hilst
i[ the bed;

diatc dif5-
roadth has
nd eighty
d, may ho
athonis of

ion of tho

s of three

round, or

has been

•kcd at the
and seven

oing limits

upper one of

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coiuprise the entire extent of tho eojtper-beuring t^latos ; lor works
arc now in progress, proving their oxistnnee over a very muiih
greater urea. In speaking of this bed, I luay observe that two otlier
mines luive been startcid on its rn:i in utln-r properties, one of
whieli has already a shaft sunk over thirty fathoms in depth ;
and from the general nature of the ground now in the bottom of
the shalt, there is every prospoet of meeting the ore-l)eariug slates
e(|ually rich as they arc at Harvey Hill.

I n estiinatijig the pro])able value of the ores that may be regarded
as in sight at ilarvey Hill, we rnay takn the average of the
Swansea sales, showing the unit of eopper to be worth !$-!. ;')().
flenee, the ton ol' rough ore, at the mouth of th«! mine, :na} be
regarded as representing 815.75, and the '!)0,()()0 tons eontained
within tho area above described will therefore bt; worth
S2,(MI2,500.

The long land (Carriage, however, of these ores to market, rerulers
their concentration on the premises necessary, with a view to efl'ect
a saving in that item of expenditure. This is done by a system of
washing, by which the average peroent.igu of tlic ore is raised to
about eighteen or twenty per cent.

This operation, unfortunately, entails a loss of some of the copper
in the mass, which may bo estimated at about one-fifth, leaving
for transport to the smelting furnaces a money value of ore copper
of about $2,301,000.

In stoping the slates, some lenticular quartz courses, similar to
those discovered at surface, are met with ; but ii, no instance, n[)
to the present time, have they been found to pass througli the ore-
bearing strata, but they appear to take their rise from them.

One of these, which seems to have taken its rise beneath the bed,
yielded nearly two hundred tons of ore, averaging over thirty per
cent, of pure copper, and has not yet been exhausted. Ttiis, how-
ever, seems to have interfered with the general yield of the bed
in its immediate vicinity, as the average yield of eopper in the
slates is considerably diminished for some distance. This fact
goep far to strengtheq the theory suErgested by Sir W. E. Logan,
3

^-T

10

COPPER MINING IN CANADA EAST.

i

'' that the quartz courses derive their copper from the interstraT
tified bods."

Some quartz courses have recently been discovered above the
bed, apparently carrying a fair amount of ore, but do explorations
have as yet been made upon them ; so their extent or proJuctivc-
uess has not been ascertained. I may, however, here remark,
that the productiveness of the bed itself docs not appear to have
been affected in the same manner in the vicinity of those quartz
courses taking their rise above the bed, as it is by those taking
their rise from beneath the bed, for I have not as yet been able to
perceive any diminution in the quantity of copper in the slates in
the former case.

With reference to the bed, therefore, as I believe will be the
case in several other localities along the course of this synclinal,
when the country is more thoroughly explored and its resources
developed, it will not be the question of the quantity of ore, there
being no doubt now about the weight of ore that can be taken out
monthly at Harvey Hill, within tho limits already proved, but
everything will depend upon the judicious laying out of the
explorations, and the amount of working capital employed.

The difficulty at Harvey Hill, as I shall endeavor to show, is
not now the one we, at the commencement of our operations, had
to contend with, or the usual one met with in mining — a want of
ore. There is at present, and for some time to co'.no, a certain
guarantee, without the usual mining chances to contend with. The
difficulties to overcome at the present time are quite of auot' er
order. First, wa have that of working up, on the spot, a very
large mass of ore, rendered difficult by a want of water for its
manipulation and ultimate separatic* from a considerable portion
of gangue or the matrix with which it is associated ; and, secondly, a
want of roads, and consequently a want of an easy transport to a
foreign market. We hare paid as high as $10 per ton for the
carriage of our ores to Quebec; wo now pay about $7 per tor'.
When that cost shall be reduced by the introduction of a tram
road to the Grand Trunk Railway, to the construction of which I

I

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w

terstrar

(ove the
orations
tluctivc-
roinark,
Lo have
c quartz

0 taking

1 able to
slates in

11 be the
ynclinal,
•esources
re, there
aken out
vcd, but
t of the
1.
show, is
ons, had
I want oi'
a certain
th. The
auot' er
t, a very
er for its
c portion
3Condly, a
port to a
for the
J per toT^.
)f a tram
f which I

COPPER MININ(} IN CANADA EAl^T. 11

look forward with some amount of certainty within the next few
years, larger profits will be made on the working of the mine by the
saving alone between the present price of carriage and the reduced
price, even supposing it should be greater than that of other
countries.

In treating the subject of our copper mines and their ultimate
importance iu the great future of the province, a comparison with
some of the European mines may not be uninteresting. ''The
Devon Grc^at Consols Copper Mine" of England, produces monthly
about 1,800 to 2,000 tons of dressed ore, averaging about six per
cent., and to produce which some 25,000 to 30,000 tons of lode will
be broken, containing perhaps, on an average, a half or three-
quarters per cent, of copper. Now, 30,000 tons of bed stuff broken
at the Harvey Hill Mines would produce about 4,200 tons of
twenty per cent, ore, worth at present prices about $387,000,
whilst the same amount of lode, in the other case, does not pro-
duce more than about 2,000 tons of six per cent, ore, worth at the
same rate about ^54,000 ; so that in poitit of value as regards
quality, our Canadian mines present no mean contrast with the
greatest mine at the present day wrought in Great Britain. And
at no distant day, I trust to see the other beds already discovered
more extensively developed and opened out, and the monthly
yield of rough ore equal oven to that of the Devon Great Consols.

The works at Harvey Hill, from their commencement in the

spring of 1858 to the autumn of 1864, were almost entirely of an

exploratory character, notwithstanding which the following

weights of ore have been sent to market : —

Tons. Cwt. Qrs. lbs.

In 1858 9 15 0 2^

" 1859 43 7 0 21 I

" 1860 104 5 3 0 j. Averaging about

" 1861 70 4 1 6 I 3C per cent.

" 1862 94 17 2 21 j

" 1863 113 20 3 14 do 20 do

And " 1864 2S5 12 3 3 do 20 do

Making a total of 671 20 2 11
The mining ton being 21 cwt., or 2,352 lbs.

12

COPPER MININi; IN CANADA HAST.

It will therefore be perceived by the Ibref^oing figures that there
has been a very perceptible falling off in the average quality of
the oivs sent to market in the two years 18G3 and 1804, as com-
pared with tlio live ])ievious years; this arises from the fact that
during tho two p;i>t. years but small quantities of ore were obtained
from tiie (quartz courses, the chief portion having been obtained
from exploratory drivages on the interstratified bed.

In following the course of this synclinal in a south-westerly
direction, the copper-bearing slates present themselves in several
places. Tiiere is no difficulty in tracitig them, notwithstanding
the absence of gossan. Th.;re are other characteristics observable
by which their existence is identified, one of which is the associa-
tion of chloritoide with the slates.

The metamorphie acticu of the copper on the slate is charac-
terised by some peculiar alterations in that rock whenever the
copper is in contact with it. A. more minute study of the pheno-
mena as presented to view would be in ihe highest degree interest-
ing to geological science, and most valuable to the practical miner.

These phenomena are observable over extensive areas in the
Township of Leeds, as also in the Townships of Ireland, Inverness,
Halifax, Wolfcstowu, Chester and Ham.

Copper ore is also found in these several townships associated
with a yellowish-brown weathering dolomitic limestone, and the
discovery of its existence in quantities sufficient to render its
extraction highly remunerative may be reasonably expected after
careful exploration.

Up to the present time, although explorations in the townships
above enumerated have been on a very limited scale, there are
several exposures of copper well worthy the attention cf capitalists.

The Township of Chester seems to have drawn the particular
attention of explorers. Some of the discoveries in that township
may 'be regarded as presenting the most promising indications;
particularly the Viger Mine, situated on lot No. 8, in the sixth

m.

a

(I

a

range.

On the adjoining lot, No. 9, in the same range, some very pre-

COPPER MINING IN CANADA EAST.

13

t there
ility of
IS com-
et that
otained
btiiincd

iresterly

several
tanding
servable

assoeia-

charac-
3ver the
e pheno-
interest-
)1 iiiiner.
4 ia the
iverness,

ssociated
and the
nder its
ed after

ownships
lere are
ipitalists.
^articular
township
ications ;
the sixth

very pre-

mising indications are also exposed by the partial explorations
which have been made on the jiroperty.

On lot No. 11, in the tenth range, some very fine samples of
variegated copper were broken oii the side of the Nicolet River,
where it passes through that property, and on lot No. 11, in the
eleventh range, a band of copper-bearing slates, several feet in
thickness, was exposed during the past summer.

Along the continuance of the second synclinal, from Chester to
St. Armand, there hav^ been numerous explorations made, and
copper discovered in nearly the whole of the intervening town-
ships. I have not yet had an opportunity of examining them,
therefore I cannot speak more particularly as to their promise of
productiveness.

The third synclinal is described as " extending from the
'•' Owl's Head Mountain on Lake Memphremagog, to Ham, and
" includes the Stoke Mountains. An extension of this is traced
'' north-eastward to Vaudreuil and St. Joseph, on the Chaudii^re
^' and beyond it, into Buckland. Between the souti: -western
" portion of this synclinal and the second one, is a large area occu-
" pied by newer rocks, of the same age as those which limit the
" belt to the south-east. They include the slates and limestones
'^ which occupy the northern r-art of Lake Memphremagog ; and,
" extending through parts of Oxford and Brompton, cover a con-
" siderable area in the contiguous parts of the Townships of
" Windsor, Wotton, Ham, and Stoke. Thdse unconformable
'' rocks overlie and conceal a large portion of the strata of the
" third synclinal j but along the eastern limit of this are exposed
*' the copper deposits of Ascot, Ham, and Garthby."

The Ascot Mine was discovered about the year 1859, and was
leased by the late Thomas McCaw, Esq., of Montreal. The
copper-bearing bed in this mine differs very considerably from
that at Harvey Hill, both in its composition, extent, and regu-
larity, the ore being the yellow sulphuret (copper pyrites), asso-
ciated with a little iron pyrites ; the matrix is composed of an
impure limestone associated with chloritic schist; the average
thickness of the bed varying between five and six feet.

m

14

COPPER MININCS IN CANADA EAST.

The limited means of the proprietor in this case for carrying on
works, the very nature of whicli necessarily required a larpje
amount of capital to open them up, with a view to tlie more
profitable extraction of the ore, only enabled him to carry on such
works as yielded ore in quantities sulticient to pay for the labor as
he went on. In this he was tolerably successful, some of the ore
yielding' in the rough state as broken in the mine, and without any
dressing, as much as eight per cent, of copper ; whilst the poorer
portion, from the nature of its matrix, could at small cost be
dressed to an average of twelve or fourteen per cent., with but
small loss of its copper contents.

The ore from this mine was discovered, at the .smelting works at
Boston, to contain within itself all the elements necessary fur its
reduction and liquefaction in the furnace, without requiring the
aid of any foreign flux or admixture of other ores for the purpose
of smelting it. In addition to which it was ascertained that this
ore answered admirably as a flux for such ores as those from the
Acton and Harvey Hill Mines, which arc deficient in sulphur,
and those from the Clark and other mines, containiug silicious
matters, requiring lime as a flux in their metallurgical treatment.

The ore from this mine therefore may be regarded as of some
importance, should smelting works be established on a large scale
in the province, as may bo inferred from the fact that this mine
was, in the full of 18G3, purchased by an American Company who
erected furnaces at Lonnoxville for the smelting of the ores irom
this and other mines in the province; and operations were carried
on by them for some time successfully and profitably, but the
lamentable difficulties of our neighbors for the past few years, and
the great difference between the value of their currency and ours,
compelled, a few months ago (like many other enterprises in this
province carried on with American capital), the temporary suspen-
sion, at least for the present, of their smelting as well as mining
operations.

About a mile to the north-east of the Ascot Mine is the Clark
Mine, also possessed by an American Company. Here a bed of

E^

COPPER MINING [N CANADA EAST.

15

ying on

a large
le more
on sueh
labor as
■ the ore
lout any
le poorer

cost bo
?ith but

works at
y for its
iriug the
i purpose
that this
froui the
sulphur,
f silicious
reatment.
of some
argc scale
his iiiine
3any who
ores Iroui
e carried
but the
rears, and
and our?*,
ses in this
ry suspen-
as mining

the Clark
3 a bed of

copper-bearing slates of considerable thickness was discovered, and
operations have been vigorously carried on for the last year, and
liirgo (juantities of ore have been taken out and sent to market.
or I ho approximate quantity of ore (extracted or its copper con-
tents, I am not aware. There are several other localities in he
iieigh})orhood of Lenuoxville where copper ores in promising
(junntities have been met with.

Id the Township of Ham, on lot No. 28, in the fourth range,
near to the line of Wolfe.stown, some considerable work has been
done witliiu tlie hist two or three years, on a mass of dolomitio
limestone averaging over one hundred foet thick. On the upper
strata of this limestone, to a depth of twenty or thirty i'eet, the
variegated and yellow sulphurets of copper have been found in
nodules, and lenticular masses of no mean promise. The band of
copper-bearing roek has been traced for some distance. "When I
visited this mine about \'o years ago. alarge pile of very promising
I'le had then been taken out. Some machinery has since been
erected for crushing and dressing the ore, and this mine may, 1
think, be leasonably regarded as one likely to become permanent.

On lot No. 20, in the seeond range of the Township of South
Ham, several veins have been discovered subordinate to the strati-
fication, varying in thickness from two to ten feet, and presenting
at surface promising indications, by exposures of copper pyrites and
green carbonate of copper in costcens made on the lot.

In the Township of Garthby, on lot No. 22, on the first range
north, there appears a largo mass of iron and copper pyrites subor-'
dinate to the stratification, which consists of calcareous serpentine.

The entire thickness in which the sulphurets are minaled with
the roek is over twMity feet. Samples of copper have been broken
from the mass, yielding by essay as much as twenty-two per cent.,
whilst samples of sulphuret of iron have also been broken, which
on being submitted to assay, Avere found almost entirely free Jrom
copper.

An opening was made on this a couple of years ago, and sunk
to a depth of about ten feet, and the sulphurets were ibund to

16

COPPER MININa IN CANADA EAST.

I

continue for that depth with some regularity, A shiil't was then
commenced a little distance to the south-east of the outcrop of
the mass, the object beinj[; to prove its nature at a depth of about
ten fathoms from surface. This reached a depth of between f^evcn
and eight fathoms, when the quantity of water met with wjih .such
as required the aid of pumping machinery to enable the Avork. to be
proceeded with, and the same was in consequence suspended.

From the foregoing remarks, the existence of copper ore over a
large area of the Eastern Townships, along the divisions laid down
in the able Geological Report of Sir W. h). Logan, as described in
the three synclinals, maybe regarded as fully established.

That copper mines in the Eastern Townships present fcuturcs
of future promise, and inducements for the investment of capital
for their more perfect and permanent development, will, I have the
fullest belief, become patent within the next few years to capitalists
seeking legitimate enterprise.

I must not, liowever, forget to lay great stress on the economical
expenditure of labor, as well as capital, in all mining operations ;
as much injury might be done to the mining industry of the
country by injudicious management of labor or disadvantageous
expenditure of capital.

In conclusion, it must not be supposed that the mere discovery
of copper ore constitutes a mine, as was the case at Acton, which
may be truly regarded as one of the most extraordinary occurrences
ever met with in the history of mining. On the contrary, it will
be found in Canada, as in other countries, that it most frequently
requires a large expenditure of capital, and the patient and perse-
vering prosecution of works of an exploratory nature, for several
years, before the long hoped-for return finds its way intj th«
treasury of a company.

was then
utcrop of
of about
jcu seven
wtiH such
ork to be
ded.

re over a
aid down
cribed in

, features
r capital
have the
apitalists

3onomical
erations ;
f of the
intageous

liscovery
m, which
3urrences
•y, it will
[•equently
nd perse-
^r several
into the